NO MORE "WHAT IF?"... GIVE US "WHAT'S NEXT?"

I am in no way bashing Lou DiPietro and Doug Williams of YESNetwork.com. I love YESNetwork.com. I am simply making a point and I've made a few times this week with other stories I've read. The Jeff Passan / Yahoo Sports one about Shin-Soo Choo comes to mind for instance (HERE).

Choo turned down an offer the Yankees made and we found out about it after the fact. OK, it's interesting, but it didn’t change history, and while it may be a cool nugget to chat about at the water cooler, it’s my opinion that it doesn’t require 800 to 1200 words about why it’s significant right now. The fact of the matter is, it’s not. We have Beltran.  Enter “What if.”

Lou DiPietro and Doug Williams of YESNetwork.com put a series together highlighting “What if” scenarios.  I haven’t been too excited about it. I guess because I don’t understand it.  I mean, it’s been a full week now, Robinson Cano is gone, off to Seattle.  What does it matter if Cano was traded to the Texas Rangers in 2004 as DiPietro asks?

He goes on: “There are then three things to consider when projecting what would have happened if Cano was chosen: what happens to him, what happens to the Yankees, and what happens to any players who may or may not have been “blocked” by Cano.”

Really? Are there things to consider for something that didn't happen? I've actually never considered them. What does it matter now? First of, "that 2004 player to be named” WASN’T Cano, it was Joaquin Arias and Cano went on to have a pretty great career in the Bronx.   In other words, why go back?

Not only that, there were another “What if” stories.  A WHAT IF… Phil Hughes had a good year in 2013? Really? Well, I guess if he did, the Yankees might have offered him a 1 year deal, but he didn’t, so we cut him loose.  Do we need a whole scenario "dream sequence" of what could have happened?  Here’s what Lou wrote: “Imagine though, for a second, that Hughes had pitched well. We're not talking about a Cy Young season, but how about his 162 game average? If he had gone 12-11 with a 4.54 ERA, things would have gone very differently. And what if he had a repeat of 2010, when he went 18-8 with a 4.19 ERA and a 1.2 WHIP?"

Here is, in my opinion, the answer to that "what if" in either scenario: Phil Hughes might still be a Yankee…”
I said that already.

What if Jeter wasn’t drafted by the Yankees? Well, most likely Jeter could have been a superstar and leader somewhere else.  The End.

What if Mariano hadn't hurt his knee in 2012? Oh Jesus.  OK, let me take a stab at this... Mariano would have probably retired in 2012, as planned. Life would have went on. Sure it's their opinion to have other "Scenarios", but the excercise doesn't matter to me. Here's why... because this type of series is used when there's nothing to talk about. But there IS something to talk about in Yankeeland this offseason, there's real news!

Masahiro Tanaka may not post.  The Yankees need pitching, BIG time... starters and relievers. Write about it… inform the fans, give us scenario hot stove ideas. Rumors get readers, I know that for a fact. It's a  much more and smarter route than going back to "What could have happened?"  I mean, What if Bernie Williams signed with the Red Sox?

What if Curtis Granderson got hit in the eye socket instead of breaking his wrist on opening day? What if ARod didn't do PEDs.  Come on.... no one cares.

All I’m saying is, Lou DiPietro and Doug Williams are NOT bad writers or bad guys. They are great, but who's silly idea was this? They are wasting my time.  I want to move forward in Yankeeland and I know you do too. 

We have big things happening.  Jacoby Ellsbury is a Yankee. I’d love to know more about him.  How about Vernon Wells? I’d like a "scenario" on what could happen to that guy's job now that Carlos Beltran and Jacoby are in the outfield. Move forward.  What's next, What if Wells didn't sign with the Yankees? Oh, I don't know... life would probably go on without him in the Bronx.  Furthermore, how about doing a series on charity work with some of the Yankees.  And again… pitching, pitching, pitching… we need some pitching.  Who are the Yankees looking at? Tell us!

Don’t go writing Lou and Doug hate mail!  That’s not what this is all about.  It’s about making an editorial decision based on information, not backwash… I personally hate it.  This is also my opinion. Hey, they probably don't like what we offer here at BYB, that's fine. Furthermore, You may love the "What if" series, that’s fine too. But it’s clear to me that the direction has changed.  I mean, this isn’t a slow off-season for the New York Yankees… there are plenty of bells and whistles... plenty to talk about NOW, not then… so let’s talk about it, seriously.

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